Getting Specific - Facebook

What is Facebook?

Facebook is the world's largest social media platform connecting more than 1 billion
active users. People use Facebook to connect with friends, family, to discover what
is happening in the world and to share and express what matters to them.

Why use Facebook?

Social media and Facebook have become the most popular forms of online communication.
Facebook offers an easy, fun and effective way to communicate your department or organization’s
mission, network and build recognition. Your presence on Facebook also allows you
to reach a wide audience including prospective students, incoming students, staff,
faculty, alumni and friends of the University.

How do I use Facebook?

Begin by setting up your organization’s account on Facebook here.

Create an “official” page for your UTC organization. Including “University of Tennessee
at Chattanooga,” “UTC,” or “UT Chattanooga” in the title will make it easier for users
to find your page.

Facebook has Pages and Groups. Know which one will work for you.

Pages are accessible by the general public. They are searchable and can be seen by
anyone even if they are not registered or logged into Facebook. Pages allow for applications
and the opportunity to supply more in-depth information. Pages are intended for organizations,
departments and businesses to connect with users who like them.

Groups are helpful if your goal is to create a small community on Facebook. Groups
can be created by anyone and about any topic as a forum for people to share their
opinions and interest in that subject. Groups can be kept closed or secret, whereas
Pages are intended to help an entity communicate publicly. Notifications to those
in your Group will appear in their Facebook Inbox like an email. If personal communication
is your goal, forming a Group is a better option.

By using Facebook you agree to Facebook's terms and policies. Review here.

https://www.facebook.com/terms.php

Begin posting! Strategies for using Facebook

Post often. Share to Facebook AT LEAST once a week and keep your posts short and sweet.
Posts with 100 – 250 characters (about two lines of text) get 60 percent more likes,
comments and shares.

Respond to everyone! Respond to comments when necessary, every message, and wall posts.
Even the negative ones.

Post photos. Posts that include images are 90 percent more likely to be clicked on
and interacted with.

Be polite but real. Social media is a conversation, so keep your writing casual but
always respectful.

Provide value. Share posts that mean something to your followers and offer information
they can use. Meaningless posts can cause followers to lose interest in you and worse,
stop following you altogether.

Monitor the page daily. Check in to your social media page daily and make sure there
is no spam, profane language or otherwise questionable content shared to your wall
or included in comments.

Promote your page. Ask people in your department or organization to follow your page.
Network with other appropriate pages on Facebook by following/liking them as your
departmental page. (Email sarah-worthington@utc.edu if you have any questions on who you can/should follow.)

Use @ when tagging someone. Tagging other appropriate Facebook accounts in your posts
can increase discoverability of your post. In the post, type the “@” symbol followed
directly by the page you attempting to tag. Ex: “Congratulations @ChattanoogaMocs
for having a 3.0 Student-Athlete GPA average! Your post will now appear on the wall
of the Chattanooga Athletics Department’s Facebook page.